SIRLS Alumni & Friends Council Undergoing Rejuvenation

The SIRLS Alumni & Friends Council, with the help of alumni from the Save SIRLS Group, will be creating by-laws and electing its first Board of Directors. Proceedings and updates are being posted on the IRLSALUM-FRIENDS listserv, and anyone interested in helping is invited to write Lisa Bunker at LWBAZ@mindspring.com.

If you are not on the Alumni listserv and you wish to be, write the SIRLS Program Manager Susan Irwin at sirls@email.arizona.edu and request to be added, or fill out the "Alumni Update Form" online at http://timon.sir.arizona.edu/alumni/alumform.html

"Save SIRLS" Benefit Dinner with J.A. Jance a Success
The Save SIRLS Steering Committee formed in January after the first Town Hall where the proposed program eliminations were discussed. It ended up being an energetic group comprised of alumni, practicing Arizona librarians, SIRLS staff and students.

Along with their advocacy campaign, Save SIRLS planned the Benefit Dinner with J.A. Jance, which raised over $15,000.00 for scholarships. The dinner was attended by 170 guests who paid $100.00 a plate to hear SIRLS alumna and bestselling author J.A. Jance speak about libraries and how her writing career came about. Our Master of Ceremonies was Tucson Citizen owner Mike Chihak; U.S. Congressman Grijalva also said a few words.

Thank you to the many businesses that donated merchandise for the Silent Auction, and to the roots music group "Hands Four" who played gratis during the first hour. A big thank you also to those who bought whole or half tables: Linda Whitaker, Pima County Supervisor Richard Elías, Art Chappa, Patricia Montiel Overall, Margaret Loghry, Brooke Sheldon, Tony Garvey, Arizona Health Sciences Center Library, Tucson-Pima Public Library, Agnes Griffen, Jo Reister, REFORMA, Jan Goeller, Susan Irwin, Lisa Bunker, and Chaz Moore. And our deepest thanks to J.A. Jance who did not charge her normal speaking fee, and who was brave and gracious even though music from next door disrupted her talk.

Save SIRLS has one more job before it disbands -- to help get the SIRLS ALumni & Friends Council going again by creating by-laws and administering the Council's first election of officers.

Thank you to everyone who helped "Save SIRLS" do the great work it did:
Annabelle Nunez
Brooke Sheldon
Cheryl Malone
Christine Dykgraaf
Ginger Cullen
Ingrid Trebisky
Jo Riester
Kathy Curley
Kris Hogeboom
Linda Wynne
Lynn Bevill
Margaret Loghry
Marisa Grijalva
Miguel Figueroa
Mary Riordan
Patricia Montiel Overall
Robert Casler
Susan Irwin
Toni Olivas